Question @ trickle charging mc while riding?

[storysunfolding]

When you're checking out the system, make sure to clean all your connections. It's not rare to find that a charging issue was due to crudded up connectors.

Other than that +1 to everything else that has been said.

Now if you want to be truely American you'll stop by pepboys and grab their solar powered trickle charger. up to 1.8 amps for $30! That way it charges even on the move as long as you have sun. You can ignore the problem, spend more money and have more gear- it's the American way!

[jonnythan]

Who knows, maybe there's a short to ground that is draining the battery while it's at rest.

We both obviously agree that there is an electrical problem with the bike, and that he needs to fix that instead of trying to find some supplemental charging system.

[slimcolo]

And I wanted to see him ride with a trickle charger and dragging an electrical cord!

[ocean]

Actually no. I don't "definitely" agree with you. I think it's POSSIBLE that there's something wrong. But I'm not going to tell the guy it is until I've seen proof that there's actually a failure in the charging system.

Who knows, maybe there's a short to ground that is draining the battery while it's at rest.

Does the bike ever just stop running and have the battery die? Or is it more like, you have a dead battery when you come back to it after a while?

Both. At least, it has stalled while idling at a stop sign or such. As well as when ive come back to it the next morning when its sat overnight.

While you could say that I partially agree with you, I do not believe that you're 100% correct, and I will not until I've seen proof of such.

[jonnythan]

Both. At least, it has stalled while idling at a stop sign or such. As well as when ive come back to it the next morning when its sat overnight.

Sounds like your charging system is inadequate by itself to keep the bike running by itself at idle and the battery is too dead to do so itself. That may or may not indicate a problem with the charging system.

You want to do a full charging system check. You're going to need a multimeter, which you can pick up fairly cheaply at your local Radio Shack or Home Depot (or similar).

I expect that you're going to need a new battery. It's possible that your generator isn't producing as much power as it should, that your voltage regulator/rectifier is not functioning properly, that there is a loose or corroded connection somewhere in the electrical system, that there is a partial short somewhere in the electrical system, etc.

Go here:
http://www.electrosport.com/electrospor ... nding.html

That link contains a rather comprehensive fault-finding flow chart for charging and battery systems. You'll need to know the location of the regulator/rectifier connections as well as the battery connections.

[ocean]

Who knows, maybe there's a short to ground that is draining the battery while it's at rest.

We both obviously agree that there is an electrical problem with the bike, and that he needs to fix that instead of trying to find some supplemental charging system.

I agree with the need to fix the main electrical problem as well.
Just wondering about the feasability and functionality of something like that.

I will read through the manual, and try to locate such potential trouble areas or shorts. Hopefully of course it is something simple and affordable.

Thank you all for your suggestions.

[jonnythan]

Your bike has a generator unit that is driven by the engine. This generator produces AC electrical current that is then turned into voltage-regulated DC current by a regulator/rectifier unit.

The current produced is usually enough to power everything on the bike (lights, spark plugs, sensors, etc) with a little left over at idle and a lot left over when the RPMs go up.

Sometimes, especially on older bikes, the charging system is possibly a little inadequate at idle and the bike relies on a small amount of current from the battery to supplement the generator system.

Any excess current from the generator, whether while moving or idle, is channeled into the battery to charge it.

So your bike already has a "trickle charger" built in.

When functioning properly with a functional battery, your bike should perform just fine, even when in stop and go traffic. The small amount of current drawn from the battery (if any) at idle should be more than made up for while actually moving.

I agree with the need to fix the main electrical problem as well.
Just wondering about the feasability and functionality of something like that.

This is all a very long way of saying "you already have that."

[mydlyfkryzis]

I thing an on board charger is a great idea. The only draw back will be that 80 mile long extension cord you will need to drag behind you.

As was stated earlier, if you get your electrical system functioning properly, you should be able to ride normally without the battery going dead.

There are ways of improving the performance of your charging system. Most of the wiring in the charging system is a little undersized on a bike. Rewiring the charging system with higher gauge wiring and making sure all connections are clean and tight will go a long way to alleviating your problems.

[jonnythan]

There are ways of improving the performance of your charging system. Most of the wiring in the charging system is a little undersized on a bike. Rewiring the charging system with higher gauge wiring and making sure all connections are clean and tight will go a long way to alleviating your problems.

This is a good point too. I recently did this on my bike.

The battery on my Virago was grounded directly to the aluminum engine casing. Everything else is grounded to the steel frame. I ran a 10 gauge copper wire directly from the battery to the frame. I dunno whether it really helps anything or not, but a number of other Virago owners have told me it helps with electrical issues.

[ocean]

This line that goes into / from fuel tank, it seems, is a bit funky at a joint right before it curves down and toward front of bike.
Have not found in my manual yet, what exactly this line is for specifically. There is mention of other wires around it, but not it that i have found. I have noticed a slight gas smell right in this area, though given its right next to gas tank this is likely no big suprise.

i realize im probably seeming pretty ignorant about my motorcycle mechanics. I am. Just have not had much time, or money for parts and tools, to really dig in and explore much recently. so am just doing what little at a time i can, while being open to asking and learning fairly basic questions from those more experienced with working with motorcycles, especially these cb700sc nighthawks.

Id like to change this connection to an intact piece, but would love to know what it actually is and is called first.?